The Family You Know, The Devil You Don't
by lawslave
Summary: Every family has skeletons in the closet, even one as seemingly perfect as the Reagan Family.
1. Chapter 1

The Family You Know, The Devil You Don't

A/N: Many thanks to siss7 and racefh853629 for their feedback on this one, which I was hesitant about to begin with. Extra thanks to racefh853629 for the title. :)  
Decided to post this first since it's decidedly shorter than the other novel I've got in queue.

 _Home Sweet Home (Season 5, Episode 12)_

 _Frank: No marriage is perfect. Most aren't even close._

 _Danny: Yours and Mom's seemed pretty close._

 _Frank: Your mother and I used to fight in the bathroom with the shower running so you guys wouldn't hear. We had our struggles, too, believe me._

Chapter 1

"Jamie Reagan?"

Jamie looked up from the section of the Sunday Times he'd been reading. He was tucked away in a quiet little corner near the window of his favorite coffee shop, one that he frequented quite often. "Yeah?" he responded.

A thin, tall man of about sixty with sandy, brown hair mixed in with lots of gray, sharp features and dark blue eyes stood before him. He clutched his jacket tightly in front of him as he stared at Jamie.

He'd said nothing more since saying his name. He just seemed to look at Jamie as if he knew him.

Jamie's brow furrowed at his odd behavior. "Sorry, but have we met somewhere?" he asked.

Despite the chill outside, sweat beaded along the stranger's hairline. He seemed to come out of his zone and blinked repeatedly as he prepared to respond. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally spoke. "No, actually I'm the one that's sorry," he started. "I'm sorry to come up out the blue like this."

Jamie's eyes narrowed slightly. "And you are?" he asked.

The stranger extended his hand. "My name's Christopher. Christopher Layne. I knew your mother a long time ago," Layne said as an introduction.

Jamie shook his hand despite his confusion. "My mother?" he asked.

"Yeah, uh, my late wife and I lived in Bay Ridge back in the eighties, not far from your family. Sometime after she passed, I volunteered with your mother at the local shelter," Layne explained.

Jamie lowered his paper onto the small table top next to his coffee as he tried to place the man, but failed. He certainly didn't remember seeing his face or hearing his name before today. "Oh, uh, well, my mom, she passed some years ago too," he shared.

Layne frowned sympathetically. "I heard. I'm sorry for your loss. She was a special lady," he said.

"Yeah," Jamie agreed and glanced down at the table, uncomfortable for some reason.

"May I?" Layne asked as he motioned to the empty chair in front of him.

"Sure," Jamie shrugged.

"I don't know if you've ever heard of me," Layne said.

Jamie felt a little strange, like he was under the microscope with Layne's eyes studying him closely, as if trying to find some sort of connection or recognition on Jamie's part.

"No. Sorry, should I have?" Jamie asked.

"No. Guess not," the stranger said, somewhat disappointed. "Listen, Jamie..." Layne paused and laughed nervously as he smoothed his jacket across his lap. "Sorry, I'm really nervous," he admitted.

"Nervous?" Jamie sat back in his chair at a loss as to what this was about.

Layne readied himself for what he was about to reveal. "Jamie, I knew your mother for a short time, but we got to being very good friends and I'm not proud of how far I let things go..." he trailed off and looked down at his hands where his fingers played with the frayed edge of his coat.

Jamie's stomach clenched. "Listen, Mr. Layne, I don't understand what you're..."

Layne breathed in deep and looked Jamie in the eyes. "Your mother and I were together," he stated.

"Together?" he asked dumbly, but Jamie was beginning to understand. His jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed as he began to get angry at this complete stranger and his allegations. "Listen, I don't know what you're trying to start here, but I don't appreciate what you're insinuating," he said.

"Jamie, I'm not trying to start trouble. I'm really not," Layne assured him and held his hands up defensively in an attempt to soothe the young man before him.

"No, you're just spewing out a ridiculous accusation about my mother...and why would you do that any way? You obviously didn't know her at all," Jamie argued.

"I didn't mean to upset you, but I'm not lying," he stated firmly.

"It's too bad she's not around to dispute your story," Jamie snarled back. He grew angrier each time Layne opened his mouth. He wasn't normally one to get so easily agitated, but it was his mother this man was talking about.

Layne looked Jamie in the eyes, although he had not expected anything different, he was still disappointed by his reaction. How could he? "You were born on March 9, 1984. You're the youngest of four - Danny, Erin and Joe. At the time I knew your mother, your family lived on Harbor View Terrace. I heard your family still has the house there. Your mom used to say that Danny was her very own little Tazmanian Devil - always running through the house like a tornado, tormenting his brother and sister, playing detective like his father. That Erin was her feisty princess, ready to argue every little thing she could possibly dispute and never one to wilt at her older brother's attempts to torment her. And Joe, she described as an old soul, wise beyond his years. He was always playing peacemaker between his older siblings despite being the youngest. Your father, I know, is commissioner now. Mary said that her mother-in-law, Betty, helped her a lot with the kids while your father worked."

Jamie's face became stoney. "What do you want?" he whispered, stunned by how much he knew about his family. The descriptions he gave of his brothers and sister were ones he'd heard year after year from his mother. The 'Tazmanian Devil' nickname, in particular, struck a chord with him. When he was little and he'd find the cartoon airing, he'd run and tell his mom Danny was on TV because she called him that so often.

"I was with your mother in June 1983," Layne stated.

For a few moments, the two men stared at one another and the repeated hissing of the shop's espresso machine did nothing to break their spell.

Jamie's eyes widened and his breathing quickened as Layne's words sunk in. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, hoping he was wrong about what this man was insinuating and utterly confused by why he was hearing this now and from a total stranger.

"I don't know really," Layne said. He was reconsidering this whole encounter, whether he was doing the right thing. But when he thought about how long he'd considered the situation with Mary, he knew he had to go through with it once and for all. "I'm not here to hurt you or disparage your mother," he swore and shook his head sadly. "I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Doctors say it's pretty aggressive. I don't know how long I have and it may sound selfish, but I've always wondered about you." He looked deep into Jamie's blue eyes, trying to find some sort of connection. "Whether you could be mine," he said softy.

"No," Jamie snapped.

"Jamie, after everything happened, your mother was devastated...that she'd been unfaithful. We both were. She was going to tell your father, beg for forgiveness and hope they could keep your family together," Layne divulged quickly. "It seems that they were able to do just that."

Jamie paled. He felt like he was getting punched repeatedly in the gut. "My father knew?" he whispered.

Layne nodded. "They were having some issues back then, but despite all of that, she loved nothing more in this world than her family, so I let her be. But a few months later, I heard she was pregnant and due in March. I couldn't not say anything. I saw her and asked her about the pregnancy, and she said that I needed to forget what happened. That she and your father were working hard to get past everything and that the baby was Frank's."

"Then why are you doing this?" Jamie asked. He was starting to feel numb.

"Because there was something in her eyes that I'll never forget. I don't know, maybe what I saw as doubt was just regret. She asked me not to contact her again. As much as I cared for her and despite my doubts, I respected her wishes. I didn't want to interfere any more than I already had." Layne shook his head and exhaled deeply. "I don't know if you and your father were ever tested -"

"You all seem to know more about this than me. Why don't you ask him?" Jamie interrupted. Anger was bubbling inside of him again. How was it that a perfect stranger was telling him about this? he repeated to himself.

Layne smiled sadly. "Selfish again, I guess. Cowardly, maybe. You're father is quite the imposing figure." He studied Jamie once again. "And to be quite honest, I wanted to meet you. I've seen you in the paper a few times. You look just like your mother," he told him.

"So you want to know if my parents got a DNA test? And what? If they didn't, you expect me to do that now just to get you some answers - if this is even true?" Jamie said, clearly irate.

"It was not my intention to possibly throw your world upside down," Layne tried defending.

"Possibly?!" Jamie laughed humorlessly and leaned forward. "Are you kidding me?! You show up out of nowhere accuse my mother of having an affair with you and want to make sure that the man that's been the only father I've ever known really is my dad? Because you think you could be my father? Do I have all of that right?" Jamie hissed at the man. "I think you need to leave," he said with a glare.

Layne glanced around the coffee shop at the attention they were drawing from surrounding customers and then noticed Jamie's fists where they sat on the table, clenched so hard that they trembled and his knuckles had turned white.

Layne appeared almost despondnet, but Jamie was too angry to care.

"Here's my number. All I ask is that you consider it. I just want to know. I can't imagine dying, never knowing one way or another." Layne placed a card on top of the newspaper and looked at Jamie one last time before leaving the coffee shop.

Jamie remained behind, staring at the spot Layne had vacated, not quite grasping what this stranger had told him. He looked down at the card. There was no way, he thought to himself. And yet...

But there was only one way to find out.


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm kind of surprised by the reaction to this so far. Please keep the reviews coming - very interested to hear what you think._

Chapter 2

Frank was making his way from the kitchen to the living room when he found his youngest coming through the front door. He shot him a quick smile and went to a cabinet in the hallway to grab something. "Hey, Jamie," he greeted his newcomer. "Wasn't expecting you so early, but I'm glad you're here. I could use your help with the car." When he got no response, Frank looked back at his son and noticed the rigid posture, flushed cheeks and the anger that seemed to radiate off of him in waves. "What's the matter, son?"

"Is Grandpa here?" Jamie asked tersely. He remained in the foyer with his jacket still on and no intention of taking it off.

Frank frowned and took a few steps toward Jamie. "He's out for a walk. What's going on?"

"Who's Christopher Layne?" Jamie asked abruptly.

Frank felt like he'd been sucker punched. He hadn't heard that name in years. He thought, or, rather, hoped that he'd never hear that name again. "What?" Frank asked, confused by why Jamie would ask about him.

"Christopher Layne," Jamie repeated. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He could see it in his father's eyes already - Layne hadn't been lying.

Frank stood stock still, staring back at Jamie, alarm clearly written across his pale face.

"So you do know who he is," Jamie stated.

Frank moved over to the bannister and braced himself against it. "Where did you hear that name?" he finally said.

Jamie's eyes didn't leave his father's, even when Frank's roamed, clearly avoiding him. "I met him today. He told me some things about mom."

Frank's head snapped up and his jaw clenched. "He what!?" he growled. How dare he tell his son anything about the mess he helped create! Frank thought to himself.

"Is it true?" Jamie asked in a whisper that was somewhere between angry, hurt and curious.

Frank shook his head and considered how best to respond. "Jamie - "

"Is it true!?" Jamie snapped, anger winning out. He could tell his father was looking for the most gentle and least painful way to explain the situation, but he didn't want to be handled with kid gloves. He wanted the truth.

Frank sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets where they clenched into tight balls, wishing he could ring Christopher Layne's neck once and for all. There was no way to avoid this issue now. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"Mom had an affair with him?" he asked first.

Frank nodded.

Jamie's face fell at the hurt he saw in his father's eyes, confirming what he had hoped was a lie. He could feel a sting in his eyes, fear settling in the pit of his stomach about where this conversation would go next. "Why would she do that?" He stepped over to the small table in the entryway and leaned heavily against it when his legs began to feel weak.

Frank looked to the floor when he saw the same hurt reflecteded back at him. "Your mom, Jamie, was an amazing person. But she was human and she made a mistake."

"When did she tell you?" he asked.

"She told me about it right after it happened. It wasn't easy, and it took some time, but I forgave her. We weren't willing to break our family apart without a fight." Frank paused before he continued, struggling to keep it together. He hadn't thought about this in so long. He didn't think he would have to think about it ever again, but he hated nothing more than having his kids' memories of their mother tarnished by this.

"She was the love of my life and I know I was hers, but we were going through some things at the time. I wasn't around a lot...kept putting the job before the family and it took a toll on her," Frank explained.

"That's not an excuse!" Jamie shouted angrily. There were so many emotions battling within him. Hurt that his mother would do that to his father. Angry that some stranger was the one to come and throw it in his face unexpectedly, that both his parents kept that from him. Confused that his father seemed to be defending her for what she did.

Frank was stunned by his son's response. "I know it's not, Jamie. But I do believe that if I'd been around more, things could have been different. It's something I will always wonder about and regret," he said, his voice cracking as he spoke. He knew that it was Mary and Layne's choice to do what they did, but he also knew that he hadn't been the husband he should have been back then.

"Does anyone else know?"

Frank shook his head. "No. No one. Not even Pop."

Jamie was unable to look at his father during the next question that he asked. "And it happened around the time mom got pregnant with me?"

Frank nodded, unable to verbally respond to what Jamie was really referring to.

The silence spoke volumes, more than any words could, and Jamie closed his eyes. "Did you ever have me tested?" he asked softly.

"No," Frank answered.

Jamie looked back up at his father, more curious than anything else at the moment. "Why not?"

"Because you are my son," Frank said adamantly.

"You sure about that?" Jamie scoffed.

Frank blinked back the tears that were threatening to make an appearance. That Jamie could think otherwise was painful. "You are my son and nothing will ever change that."

Jamie felt something snap within him. "That's not an answer!"

"What do you want?!" Frank yelled back and regretted his tone immediately.

"To know without a doubt that I am your son!" Jamie shouted and threw his arms in the air. "Without some stranger out there coming up to me to say I might not be!"

Frank took a few steps toward Jamie. "If you're looking for a piece of paper that says that, I have nothing more than a birth certificate, Jamie. That and the fact that I know you're my son."

In every other situation, his father's word would have been enough, but right now, it wasn't.

Jamie shook his head. His world was suddenly upside down and he wasn't sure what he could believe as fact anymore. "I can't..."

"Jamie -"

Brokenhearted, Jamie said, "This is crazy. Like I woke up in some stupid soap opera. I don't even know what to think." He turned around and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Frank asked, afraid to let him leave in his current state.

"I need to get out of here," Jamie replied. Feeling like he was about to totally lose his composure and not wanting to do that here and now, he reached for the door knob.

Frank panicked. "Will you be back for dinner?" he asked stupidly because he was at a total loss as to what else to say right now.

Jamie froze upon hearing the ridiculous question and looked back over his shoulder at Frank with wide eyes. "You think I can sit at that table and eat pot roast like nothing's going on?"

Before Frank could say anything else, Jamie jumped back when the door opened suddenly, almost striking him as Jack and Sean ran into the house and headed directly for the TV in the sunroom.

"Hey, Grandpa! Hey, Uncle Jamie!" the boys greeted in unison.

Danny came through the door next, carrying a couple of grocery bags. "Hey, kid," he greeted his brother. "Glad you're here. We're gonna need an extra hand in the kitchen."

Jamie, instead, stormed out through the open doorway, right past his confused brother.

Danny frowned at his little brother's quick and silent departure. "What's got his panties in a bunch?" He looked at his father for an answer, but only saw the hurt on his face. "Dad? What's wrong?" he asked.

Frank shook his head and went up the stairs in a heavy silence. Danny looked from the top of the staircase to the front door wondering what he'd just missed.

Linda walked in to find Danny standing in the foyer, looking stupified. "What's wrong with Jamie?" she asked, oblivious to Danny's mood. "He just stormed past me like a bat out of hell. He didn't even say 'hello' back."

Danny looked at his wife and shrugged. "I have no idea, but I'm sure we'll find out," he said softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Dinner had been a quiet affair. Everyone asked about Jamie, to which Frank vaguely replied that he had something else he needed to take care of. Everyone, from Henry down to Sean, had picked up on Frank's sullen mood and knew something major was going on.

It was driving Danny crazy not knowing what was happening, but he forced himself to wait until dessert to press the issue.

Danny looked at his sons. "Why don't you guys go finish up dessert in the sunroom," he suggested to them. "Find something to watch."

Sean and Jack glanced at each other and knew well enough to do as they were told, considering the dark cloud that seemed to hang over the room.

Erin gave Nicky a pointed look, hoping she'd help keep the boys occupied.

Nicky was as sharp as her mother and got the message loud and clear. She liked to consider herself an adult that didn't need to be sent out of the room when something serious needed to be discussed, but she too knew when to follow directions. "Come on, boys," she said. "We'll find a movie or something we can all watch."

The kids picked up their plates and went into the sunroom, closing the French doors behind them.

Henry had tried earlier to get his son to talk to him. It had been clearly obvious that he was upset about something, so it was no surprise that he was the first to speak as soon as the kids were out of earshot. "What's going on, Francis?"

"Whatever it is, it involves Jamie, considering the way he ran out of here earlier today," Danny deduced.

"So Jamie was here?" Erin asked as she placed her coffee cup down.

Danny nodded at her over his own mug.

"Francis?" Henry prompted again.

Frank pushed his plate away and leaned tiredly against the table. "I don't know where to begin. Feels wrong to be talking about this without your mother here, although it's not something she would have wanted to discuss at all." He looked around the table, noticing that all eyes were on him, and didn't know how he was going to do this.

"Mom? What does it have to do with her?" Erin asked.

"Everything," Frank responded. "And the last thing I want to do is have you or anyone else think any less of her."

"You're starting to worry me, Dad," Erin said. She mimicked her father's posture as her eyebrows wrinkled in concern.

"It wasn't something we ever planned to share with anyone. We worked things out a long time ago and moved past it," Frank explained. He seemed to be delaying the inevitable, but was finding it tough to actually say the words.

"What exactly did you move past?" Linda asked. She was getting a strange feeling about this.

Frank studied his hands. "Jamie got a visit from a man your mom knew a long time ago," he started.

"Knew how, Francis?" Henry grumbled.

"They had an...a thing at one time," he said. It had been over thirty years and he still was not able to say the word.

Danny had a look of shock on his face. He understood what his father was saying, but it wasn't something he could believe as being true. "A thing?" he asked.

Erin shook her head. "That's not possible, Dad. Mom would never..." she defended. Her eyes went wide. She refused to believe that her mother had cheated on her father.

Frank looked up at the group. "Your mom was human, just like the rest of us," he said firmly, saying the same words he'd used to defend Mary's actions with Jamie.

"She told you about it?" Henry asked. They all knew his opinion on such behavior. Maybe it was hypocritical, but when it was family, he was unable to be his usual, outspoken self on the matter, not when it was his son bearing the brunt of the heartache. That much was obvious.

"Yes. And I forgave her and we moved on. It took a while, but we worked through it. We didn't need or want anyone judging her or our marriage, so we never told anyone. End of story," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Until now," Henry commented. "How long did it go on for?"

"Mary said it was one time. They volunteered together at the shelter, that was how they met. She was totally forthcoming with me after it happened and I know she was telling me the truth about it," Frank said.

Henry remembered when Mary volunteered at the shelter - she'd started there after Joe began pre-school so that she'd be occupied during the day when all of the kids were in school. He also remembered when she stopped, sometime before Jamie was born.

Erin and Danny sat dumbfounded. They were starting to question everything they knew about their own mother. But something else was also bothering Danny, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Why would he go see Jamie?" Linda asked. She was also finding the news hard to swallow.

"Dad? What else aren't you telling us?" Danny asked.

Frank took a deep breath, his eyes going back down to the the table. "It happened the year before Jamie was born."

The way Frank spoke those words was enough tell them everything they needed to know.

"Jesus," Henry whispered.

Danny was blown away. "Wait a minute. Are you trying to say…"

"It happened right before your mom got pregnant with Jamie," Frank added.

"Oh my God," Erin whispered.

"This has got to be some kind of joke," Danny snapped.

Linda placed a hand on her husband's forearm to calm him.

"There was no doubt in my mind or in your mom's that Jamie was mine," Frank affirmed.

"You never got tested?" Linda asked gently.

Frank shook his head. "No." He looked at each of them as he spoke. "Say whatever you want, that I was sticking my head in the sand on the matter, but I knew the second I saw your brother, the moment he was born, that he was my son. I didn't need some test to tell me that."

There was a raw emotion in her father's voice that brought tears to Erin's eyes.

Henry broke the silence that lasted several moments as everyone digested the news. "And this man, he's coming out of the woodwork, for what exactly? Lay some kind of claim after thirty years?" Henry asked. "Why the hell would he do that?"

Frank didn't respond because, aside from wreaking havoc all over again, he really had no idea what Layne was after. But he'd be damned if he thought he was going to integrate himself into Jamie's life.

Erin reached out and grasped her father's hands where they sat clenched together on the table. "How is Jamie handling all this?"

Frank couldn't get the pained expressions on Jamie's face out of his mind. "He was angry that he was hearing this from some stranger and he was hoping I could give him some sort of definitive proof to contradict this man's claim," he told them.

"He planted a seed of doubt," Erin said sadly, wishing Jamie was here with them.

Linda closed her eyes briefly. "Poor Jamie."

He didn't deserve this. No one did.

"You can't blame the boy, Francis," Henry said softly. His own head was spinning at all of these revelations. He couldn't imagine what was going through his grandson's head right now.

"I don't," Frank said. "I didn't know what else to say to him other than I had no doubt. But considering we never told him or anyone, he was having trouble taking my word for it."

Danny ran his hands down the length of his face. He couldn't believe this guy had shown up out of the blue and aired his parents' dirty laundry right in his brother's face. Aside from the fact that there was no possibility that this joker could be Jamie's father, did he really think he was going to all of a sudden play daddy to a thirty-year-old man now? His brow furrowed as he thought hard. Aside from total shock, something else kept niggling at the back of his mind. He zoned out of the conversation around him and, suddenly, he knew what was bothering him.

 _Flashback_

 _Summer 1983_

 _Nine-year-old Danny Reagan was bored. It was early August and he was stuck at home with only his little brother and sister to pester him...and his mother, of course. Basketball camp was over, so his mother had told him he had to go make his own fun, but torturing Erin and Joe would only entertain him for so long. That got boring after a while._

 _Danny came into the kitchen from the backyard where he'd left his siblings playing. He was searching for his mother to see if she'd let him go over to a friend's house when he heard hushed voices coming from the living room. Danny made his way through the kitchen and stepped cautiously into the living room and found his mother and a strange man in the foyer. Danny's eyes narrowed as he saw the distressed look on his mother's face._

 _"Ma?" Danny called out. He came to a stop near the sofa and studied the man curiously._

 _Mary was startled when she heard her son calling out for her and took a few steps toward him, partially blocking his view of her guest. "Danny? I thought you were playing outside with Erin and Joe?" She nervously swiped a few strands of her shoulder length brown hair behind her ear._

 _"I was. But I got bored and wanted to know if I could go to Micky's house." Danny kept his eyes on the stranger._

 _Mary didn't miss the way her oldest was observing their visitor. "Of course, Danny. Walk on over there and call me as soon as you get there. And remember to behave yourself. I'll call Micky's mom when it's time for you to come home," she instructed._

 _Danny stood quietly for a moment, expecting his mother to introduce the man, but apparently she had no intention of doing so._

 _"Well? Go on, Danny, before I change my mind," Mary ordered._

 _"Okay. See you later, I guess." Danny gave the man one more long look, but by this time he had taken a few steps closer to the front door, as if trying to shield himself from Danny's prying eyes. Danny turned and headed back out through the kitchen to walk over to his friend's house, concerned by whatever was going on in the house. But the incident was soon forgotten as his nine-year-old mind found more entertaining things to deal with._

 _End Flashback_

Danny's jaw clenched. That had to be him. He was having serious thoughts about bashing this guy's face in. "Who is he, Dad?"

Frank could read Danny like a book and smiled sadly. "Knowing you the way I do, I wouldn't tell you. It's something I need to deal with."

Danny shook his head in frustration.

"I don't know what to say," Erin whispered.

"There's nothing to say. It happened and it's in the past. My only issue with this right now is that your brother got blindsided and I'm not sure how to get the doubt out of his head."

"Not for nothing, Dad, but wouldn't getting a DNA test do that? Just do it and put this to bed," Danny suggested. He had no doubt that he, Erin, Joe and Jamie were all fully related. "Then this jackoff can crawl back under whatever rock he came out from."

Frank's lips pressed into a tight line, his eyes falling once more.

Henry looked across the table at his son. He might be sure Jamie was his, but the prospect of getting tested made the crazy notion that this other man could be Jamie's father too scary a possibility he didn't want to face. It was understandable. "It wouldn't change a thing, Francis. He's still ours."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Eddie placed a beer in front of her partner who sat hunched over a high top. "What's up with you this week, Reagan?" she asked. "You're giant lump of melancholy. And I heard you've been volunteering for extra tours without me," she accused.

Jamie shook his head and shrugged, only glancing in her direction as he went to grab his bottle. "Just a couple," he answered. He'd picked up extra shifts and looked for any reason to stay busy and avoid everything and everyone having to do with this Christopher Layne mess. Based upon the number of calls and texts he'd received from Danny and Erin, he assumed that they had been filled in on what was going on.

Eddie took a drink fom her own bottle and pinned him with a look. "So what's going on?" she asked.

Jamie sighed. "It's crazy," he warned.

"What is?" she asked again.

"I don't even know how to explain it," Jamie said.

"This must be big if you don't know how to explain whatever it is," Eddie responded.

Jamie considered the situation as he took a long pull from his bottle. He knew he could confide in his partner, maybe even get some sound advice, so he prepared to explain. "What would you say if I told you I got approached by a complete stranger who told me he had an affair with my mother right before she got pregnant with me?"

Eddie's eyes widened as she laughed nervously. "I'd say that sounds a lot like the plot to a Lifetime movie," she commented. She would of thought he was kidding if not for his mood over the past week and the smile quickly fell from her face. "You're being completely serious?" she asked in disbelief. Part of her was hoping he might be trying to punk her.

"As a heart attack," he said sadly. "My life's turned into a bad movie."

Eddie blinked repeatedly as she let what her partner had just shared sink in. "Jesus. I don't know what to say," she muttered.

"There's nothing to say." Jamie shook his head and took another drink.

"And this guy popped up out of no where?" Eddie asked.

"Literally," he confirmed.

"Did your dad know?"

Jamie nodded, but wasn't able to meet her eyes. That part really stung. If there was some doubt, his parents should have told him or, at the very least, had him tested at some point in his life to get confirmation one way or the other. They left the door wide open for Layne to come waltzing into his life and dumping this in his lap.

"Woah," she whispered. "But this guy's full of it, right? I mean, if your parents ever had any doubt, they would have done a DNA test at some point and told you if you weren't...you know?" she was hesitant to even utter the words, in case it made it come true.

Jamie shook his head and glanced at her quickly, his expression growing strained.

"This really is like a bad movie," Eddie said. "What does your dad say?"

Jamie picked at the label on his bottle as he flashed back to Sunday. "That he knows I'm his son. Said he didn't need a test to prove that."

"So that's it, right? I'd trust your dad anytime, anywhere with anything," Eddie proclaimed.

"You tell me? Someone comes up to you and throws this at you, how would you feel? Would you start to wonder, you know, what if?" he shot back.

"So, what if? Do you think that would change anything with your family?" she countered. No other family was as tight as the Reagans, no matter how tough things got. Even she knew nothing would change.

"I don't know," he replied softly.

Eddie looked at him incredulously. "Reagan. Come on!" she shouted back. "Do you think you'll be banned from Sunday dinners or something?"

"No, but it would just make everything different, Eddie. My heads still spinning from all of this and I don't know what to do." Jamie stared back at his partner wishing she or someone could offer a painless solution to all of this. He'd never felt so exposed and unsure of himself in all of his life.

Eddie read his mind. "You're thinking about getting tested," she said.

Jamie nodded subtly.

"But you're terrified by the 'what if,'" Eddie voiced his thoughts.

The look in his eyes broke her heart. She couldn't imagine going through this. Hearing her father was a crook was a distant memory and now seemed like a walk in the park compared to this.

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Jamie opened the door to his apartment for Danny and Erin.

"Finally! Where have you been, kid?" Danny barked.

"I've been working," Jamie said.

"Have you been working every tour since Sunday? I was about to call 911 myself to finally get a hold of you," Danny growled as he walked through the door with Erin following close behind.

"You've been ignoring our calls," Erin added as she looked at Jamie sympathetically and gave him a hug.

Danny and Erin moved into the living room, but remained standing as they studied their little brother.

"Did you two know?" Jamie asked outright. His father had said no one else knew, but he still had to ask. He didn't know what he would do if they'd been keeping this from him too.

"What?" Danny's face became pinched. "How could you ask that?"

"Sorry, but I was pretty certain of most things up until last Sunday," Jamie responded.

"No, Jamie. We didn't," Erin assured him.

"So he told you," Jamie said as he walked over and dropped onto the couch.

Erin took a seat next to him and placed her bag on the coffee table. "Yeah. After dinner on Sunday."

"I still can't believe Mom would have done that." Jamie stared aimlessly at the floor. "I mean, how could she do that?" he asked, wanting an answer other than 'she made a mistake.'

Erin and Danny traded looks. They've been asking themselves that same question constantly since Sunday afternoon.

"How're you doing with all of this, kid?" Danny stood across from him with his hands on his hips. It might be a stupid question, but he still had to ask. He, like everyone else, was still trying to accept their mother's infidelity. But more than anything else, they were worried about Jamie.

"I don't know." Jamie shook his head and looked back at Danny.

Erin reached out and ran a hand soothingly up and down Jamie's back. "It's weird, you know? You think of your parents as being these superheroes in your mind. Besides maybe thinking they're too strict and overprotective and annoying when you're a teenager, they can do no wrong. That's what makes this so hard to fully grasp," she said.

"Like Dad said...she was human." Danny shrugged and pressed his lips together. "It's hard to understand. I wonder about what they were going through back then, how Dad felt. But that doesn't make me love her any less."

"And if Dad was able to forgive her and move past it, so should we," Erin added.

"Easy for you to say. You don't have some stranger coming up to you saying he's possibly your father," Jamie muttered. "There's only one way for me to get past this."

"You want to get tested?" Erin asked softly.

"You don't need a piece of paper to tell you you're really a Reagan, kid," Danny countered.

"Step into my shoes, Danny. Would you really be able to live the rest of your life with that little bit of doubt lingering in the back of your mind?" Jamie pinned him with a look before he continued. "We all know that you, Detective, more than anyone, would be the first in line to get all the answers."

Danny looked away, knowing he was right, but he still didn't think Jamie needed to get a DNA test, even though it would put this all to bed.

Jamie turned to his sister. "Same goes for you, Erin."

"I'll give you that," she conceded.

"And, what if, huh? What if what I thought to be true the last thirty years was a lie?" Jamie asked.

Danny threw his hands up in the air. "What lie, Jamie? Dad raised you just like he did the rest of us, as his kids. End of story," he tried convincing his brother.

"It wouldn't change anything, Jamie," Erin tried reassuring him. She understood his fear. It would be hard to think things wouldn't change somehow, but she knew they wouldn't love him any less if the unthinkable were true.

"Things would be different," Jamie stated.

"No they wouldn't. What? Do you think we'd ban you from Sunday dinners? Have you waiting on us hand and foot and cleaning up after us like some social outcast? Oh, wait. We already make you do that," Danny joked.

Erin rolled her eyes at Danny's attempt at humor. "Even Grandpa said it: you're still ours," she said softly.

When Jamie didn't reply at all, Danny sat across from his siblings and made direct eye contact with his brother. "Look, we're not trying to play this off as no big deal, kid. We get it and even though you doubt what we already know, that we're all fully related, you gotta know you'll always be the same Jamie Reagan you were Sunday morning before this schmuck ever showed up," he tried reassuring his little brother.

Jamie rubbed his hands up and down his weary face. "Yeah," he whispered. He did kind of know that. But still, the fear of the unknown had him shaken.

"You haven't talked to Dad since Sunday?" Erin asked.

Jamie shook his head.

"You can't avoid him forever. He is your father, after all," Erin said.

"Maybe," he whispered.

"Come on, Jamie!" Danny growled.

Erin hunched forward to catch her little brother's eyes. "He's beating himself up over this. He's hurting too," she told him.

"Who is this guy, anyway?" Danny asked, disgust clearly written across his face. He still wanted to find out who he was and track the bastard down.

"Why do you want to know? So you can go beat the guy up?" Jamie shot back.

"See! You're one hundred percent a Reagan. That's exactly what Dad said!" Danny exclaimed.

As hard as he tried not to, Jamie couldn't help but smirk.

Erin rummaged around in her bag. "Here," she said as she shuffled through three photos she pulled from her purse and spread them out across the coffee table. "If you don't believe us, take a look at these."

Danny came around the other side to take a peek at what she brought. "Where'd you find those?" he asked.

"At Dad's, after dinner on Sunday," she replied.

"Good job, Counselor," Danny said.

Jamie leaned forward and dropped his chin into the palm of his hand. His eyes moved from one photo to another. The first was of him as a baby - he recognized it from one of the family photo albums. The second one, he could take a guess as to who it was.

"That's Dad as a baby," Erin confirmed.

Jamie stared at the photos.

"See? You two are practically twins. 'Nough said," Danny grumbled. "I think we should get some food now," he said while marching toward the kitchen. "You got any beer?" he called out from the other room.

"The last one says it all, if you ask me," Erin offered as she saw the expression on her little brother's face softening.

It was of a tiny, newborn Jamie, no more than a few hours old, cradled in their father's massive, protective arms with a look of utter adoration for the newest member of the family etched across his face.

Jamie couldn't take his eyes away from that last photo and he bit his lip to keep control of his emotions once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"And the mayor is asking you to accompany him on the podium when he talks to the press about his plans to increase the department's budget and get more new officers on the streets." Garrett paused momentarily for a breath, barely glancing at Frank over his reading glasses. "If you ask me, he just wants to toot his own horn and take credit for making New York safer because of all the revenue he's suddenly allotting to us. You can always tell when it's an election year," he snarked.

Garrett looked up from his paperwork when his boss made no effort to respond to a dig at the mayor and caught him staring off into space. "Frank?" he asked and pulled off his glasses.

"What was that?" Frank asked distractedly.

"I think I was just talking to myself for the last ten minutes," Garrett said lightly.

Frank blew out a large breath. "I'm sorry. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Yeah. I've noticed." Garrett put his reading glasses in his pocket and sat back in his chair. "Anything I can help you with?" he offered.

A knock at the door prevented Frank from answering. Both men looked over and found Detective Baker entering.

"Sir? That information you requested just came in. Is there anything else you want us to find on him?" Baker asked as she brought a file over to Frank's desk.

"No, Baker, thank you. I'm sure you've found all there is. That'll be all," he responded.

"Yes, sir." Baker exchanged a look with Garrett on her way out.

Frank stared down at the file that had been placed on the desk.

"Who are you looking into?" Garrett asked.

"No one," Frank replied a little too quickly.

Garrett's eyebrows arched up. "That's not a 'no one' face. You can trust me, you know. If there's anything you need..." he trailed off.

"I know that, Garrett. I do," Frank said to his DCPI and gave him a small smile. "I think I've done more sharing this past week than I've done in all of my life."

"What's one more if I can help you out?"

Frank looked back at his friend. He could probably use some advice from someone who wasn't emotionally connected to this whole mess.

"Mary had an affair once. A very long time ago," Frank blurted out quickly before he lost his nerve.

Garrett's mouth clamped shut, his only reaction to that shocking news, and he kept it closed to allow Frank a chance to get everything that was bothering him out in the open. Garrett could tell that wasn't the end of it.

"We decided to work things out and stay together, obviously. We didn't want to break up our family." Frank stood and turned to the wall unit behind his desk. He glanced at the photo of him and Mary taken the year before she got sick. "It was one of the toughest things I ever had to go through, but we got through it together."

"I'm sorry, Frank," Garrett said.

Frank picked up the photo of him and Jamie after his graduation from the academy. "It happened before she got pregnant with Jamie," he revealed.

Garett didn't know what to say. That was certainly the last thing he expected to hear. "So Jamie..."

Frank looked at his son's bright smile before turning to face his DCPI. "We both were certain he was ours. No doubt in our minds." Frank nodded before adding, "A father knows."

"But you never got tested," Garrett said.

Frank shook his head.

"Why has this come up now?" Garrett asked with some trepidation.

"The man she was with approached Jamie recently," Frank took a seat again and placed the framed photo on his desk and in his line of sight.

"Christ." Garret wasn't sure how much worse this could get. "Why would he do that after all these years?" he asked.

"I don't know. But I'd like to find out."

"Ahh. Hence, the file." Garrett looked back at his boss thoughtfully. "I take it you've never met this guy before?"

"No. Mary was afraid I'd kill him." Frank breathed in through his nose as he wringed his hands together. "And she was probably right," he admitted. "I was ready to hunt the bastard down, but she begged me not to. She said she'd already ruined everything as it was, she didn't want me to jam myself up for something she did." Frank thought back to that time. "I honestly don't know what I would have done if we'd ended up in the same room together," he said.

"I wouldn't blame you," Garret replied. "How's Jamie dealing with all of this?" he asked.

"I haven't seen him since Sunday, since Layne," Frank pointed to the file, "showed up. He was angry and hurt. At Mary. At me for not telling him."

"That's the shock, Frank," Garrett assured him. "So what are you going to do?"

Frank opened the file and studied it quietly.

"My advice?" Garrett offered. He waited until Frank looked up at him. "Leave your gun at home," he joked but sobered quickly. "I don't know why he would do this or if there's any point in you going to see this guy except for maybe getting some overdue, pent up hurt and anger off your chest and directed at him, and rightfully so. But he's not worth your time. More important is talking to your son and getting him through this, together. Like you did with Mary. He's the only one that matters in all of this, Frank."

Frank knew Garrett was right, but still. "This is the first time I've ever been afraid to talk to one of my kids. I can't stand to see that look again," he admitted.

"If I had to bet my life on it, I'd guarantee you of two things: one, that kid loves you and that's not gonna change, ever; and two, your his father no matter what some jerk off the street says."

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It was the second week in a row where dinner had been a quiet affair, but this time, there were no empty seats at the table. Erin, Henry, Linda and Danny were glad Jamie hadn't stayed away. Frank had simply been relieved. Jamie was pretty subdued and he seemed to make an effort to avoid meeting Frank's eyes. He had arrived just as dinner was being put on the table which hadn't allowed for any private conversations between father and son. And no one was going to call him out on it, just yet.

After dessert, the family moved around the kitchen to clean up and store away the leftovers. Frank was making his way out of the laundry room when he found Jamie waiting nervously for him in the hallway.

"Can we talk? Alone?" he asked.

"Of course," Frank answered and led him into the den.

Jamie closed the door behind him and turned around slowly.

Frank stood by his desk with his hands stuffed in his pockets. He waited for Jamie to talk, wanting him to speak his peace before he said anything.

Jamie's eyes roamed the room. "This last week has been...I don't even know the word for it," he started saying.

Frank nodded.

Jamie placed his own hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. "Everyone keeps telling me that no matter what, everything will always be the same, I'll always be a Reagan. I believe that, I guess, but I don't know, this is all confusing." Jamie looked down at the floor. "There's someone out there telling me they could be my father and I didn't know what to do, so I just got angry."

"I understand, Jamie," Frank said.

Jamie looked back at him. "I just don't know what to do," he repeated. "It's like everyone else has a handle on this but me."

"Not everyone," Frank corrected.

Their eyes met for a long silent moment.

Jamie nodded. He could see that his father was struggling with this also and maybe he was being selfish, but right now, he was having trouble dealing with anything but his own emotions on the matter. "I just wish you would have told me," he said.

Frank understood why Jamie felt that way. As difficult as it would have been to discuss this with any of his children, it would have been better that he heard something like this from his own father rather than from a stranger. "I'm sorry you had to hear it from him," Frank apologized. "And if he hadn't told you, I'll be honest right now, Jamie, I probably never would have told you. Because I would never want to tarnish the memory of your mother. Because - and you have to believe me when I tell you this - I never had any doubts." Back then, Frank thought to himself. All of this was letting some of those first initial insecurities he thought had been squashed long ago resurface.

Jamie didn't have it in him to argue right now. "Yeah," whispered.

"Anything I can do to help you get through this, Jamie, you let me know and I'll follow your lead," Frank offered.

Jamie forced a tight smile. "I know. I'll let you know once I figure that out." He sighed and pointed to the door. "I got the midnight tour, so I got to head home."

Frank nodded. "Have a safe tour," he wished him.

"Thanks." Jamie looked at him for a second longer before turning around and walking out of the den.

It didn't escape either of them that they were both hesitant to address each other with 'dad' and 'son' like they normally would have, afraid that they'd lost that right somehow.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Christopher Layne opened the front door of his small house in Queens, shocked to find Frank Reagan standing on his front stoop. "Commissioner," he choked out. His attention was drawn over Frank's shoulder to the large, black SUV parked on the street and the almost equally large, broad-shouldered man standing guard alongside of it.

"Mr. Layne," Frank replied curtly.

Layne's eyes snapped back to Frank. "This is a surprise," the pale faced man stated.

Frank gave Layne a fake smile. He knew he could be an intimidating figure on the best of days and was playing up that fact to make the man before him squirm. Frank knew it was petty, but since he couldn't allow himself the satisfaction of inflicting some well deserved pain on the man in front of him like he really wanted, he had to get his kicks anyway he could get them. He was human too. "I'm sure it is. I mean, I did nothing to confront you thirty years ago when you almost tore my family apart. That was all Mary, by the way. She didn't want me making a bad situation worse which I'm sure I probably would have if she hadn't stopped me. And now, well, now you're back again. But today, like back then, I have too much to lose and it just wouldn't be worth it," he explained, as if having a cordial conversation with an old friend.

Layne looked back at the inside of his house, almost as if pondering whether he was supposed invite his unexpected guest in.

Frank could read his mind. "No. There's no need for that. I won't be here long," he said.

Layne spoke the only words he would even dare to say at that moment. "I'm sorry."

Frank's head tilted to one side. "For what exactly? For the affair you had with my wife or for breaking that news to my son?" he asked.

"I, uh, I'm sorry for all of it. I am," Layne stammered.

Frank inhaled deeply, releasing the breath through his nose. "What is it you want, Layne?" he wondered out loud.

"I don't know what Jamie told you about our meeting," Layne responded.

"Only that you came out of no where and told him something that he shouldn't have heard from a complete stranger," Frank replied. "You tarnished the good memories my kids have of their mother, not to mention caused Jamie to doubt all he's known about who he is and where he comes from. And wrongly so."

Layne frowned. "That wasn't my intention. I'm sick and I'm not sure how much time I have left. I deserve to know one way or the other," he tried defending himself.

"I won't comment on your failing health. That wouldn't be the right thing to do," Frank told him, but he was done putting on fake smiles and pleasantries. He wouldn't be wringing this man's neck like every fiber of his being was yearning for, but he would make sure Christopher Layne got his message loud and clear. "I don't know if you have any children, but my first instinct as a father is to protect my son from ever getting hurt. That would probably be any father's first instinct. In some ways, I kind of feel like I failed Jamie when it comes to you and your involvement with Mary. But I also know that my instinct to protect him is another reason why I know you couldn't ever be his father, because you had no problem storming in and momentarily shattering his world," Frank said.

But Frank wasn't done. "Jamie is an adult and I will follow his lead as far as how he wants to handle this. I'll be there to help him put the pieces back together, but rest assured, no matter how he decides to handle it, it will never change the fact that I am his father. I knew that thirty years ago when I held my boy for the first time and I know it now," he finished. Frank eyed Layne one last time before turning around and walking back to his vehicle.

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A few days after that awkward Sunday dinner, Jamie approached Christopher Layne who stood from the table he'd been occupying in the same little coffee shop where they had first met.

"I have to say that I was surprised you called," Layne greeted the younger man. After the unexpected visit from Frank Reagan, he had all but assumed that he'd never see this young man again and would never get an answer to a very old question.

Jamie approached the table, guarded around this man who would always be a complete stranger to him. "I don't know that I had much choice given what you dumped at my feet," he replied.

"You have to believe me, Jamie, that it wasn't my intention to send you into a tailspin with all of this," Layne said.

"It may not have been your intention, but I can't imagine that you could have thought I'd react differently," Jamie responded.

"No, I suppose not," Layne confirmed. "Would you like to take a seat?" he asked and motioned to the empty chair.

Jamie shook his head. "No. I won't be here long."

Layne frowned at the same words used by Frank Reagan during his visit and disappointment flashed across his face.

Jamie was hesitant to reveal the decision he'd made, but he needed some sort of resolution and this was the only way he thought he could get that. "I want to get tested. Against you. It's something I need to do for myself. Not for you or anyone else. And I'd rather not include my family right now." Jamie preferred to leave his father out of it for now. If he saw the disappointment on his face upon hearing his decision, he might not go through with it. "This whole thing's been completely out of my control and I need to do this on my terms," he explained.

"I understand," Layne responded.

"Despite what you've said, I'm still not sure what you expect out of this," Jamie said. He wasn't certain that he could offer this man anything should the results indicate a match. Jamie closed his eyes briefly - just the thought of that happening made his stomach drop.

"I don't expect anything, Jamie, except for an answer to a question I've had for a very long time. It may sound stupid or cliche, but I can die in peace just knowing. That's all," Layne said with all sincerity. But if anything else came of it, he'd gladly take that too.

Jamie nodded. "I made an appointment at a lab not far from here. I'd like to get this done sooner, rather than later."

Layne looked back at the strangely familiar face. He was sorry for the pain he'd caused him, but he needed to get some answers for himself. "That's fine, Jamie. Now's as good a time as any," he responded.

* _*One more to go...I actually wrote two endings just for the heck of it, curious on how either scenario would play out, but only one will get posted. Last chapter will be up tomorrow._


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Between the 2 possible endings I wrote, I couldn't go with anything but this one. Hope you enjoyed the ride._

Chapter 7

Frank was packing up his briefcase, planning to make his escape from the office and looking forward to the weekend after another stressful week, not that he'd actually been able to relax at home lately. He looked up from his desk when a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Hey," Jamie said when he came through the doorway.

"Hey, Jamie," Frank greeted, surprised to see him in his office so late on a Friday afternoon. He was surprised to see him at all, considering the minimal contact they had the last few weeks.

"Detective Baker said you were alone." Jamie took a few hesitant steps into the office and stopped between the door and Frank's desk. "I was hoping to catch you so we could talk." He didn't want to delay what he had to say.

"Of course. You okay?" Frank moved forward, near the front of his desk.

Jamie bit the inside of his lip as he looked down at the folded sheet of paper that he held in his hands. He was overwhelmed by the results he'd received after tour and wasn't sure how to answer that question right now.

Frank frowned and put his hands into his pockets as he waited him out.

Jamie looked nervously across the room. "I decided to get a DNA test," he revealed.

Frank tried not to show any disappointment. "Okay," he said evenly.

"I mean, I already did it," Jamie clarified. His eyes shot back down to the folded paper for a moment when he saw the surprised look on Frank's face.

"You did?" Frank was stunned. How did he do that when he hadn't...

"Yeah, against Christopher Layne," Jamie added. He didn't miss the way Frank flinched and he looked away again. He felt nervous about what he was about to share because of how he had handled this whole mess to begin with.

But that was the only response from Frank as he prepared himself for whatever Jamie was about to tell him.

"I'm sorry," Jamie started, but paused when he felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes.

Frank's stomach dropped and he fought to remain in control, expecting to receive the worst kind of news.

"About how I handled everything. I should have trusted you," Jamie continued, his voice fading at the end.

Frank frowned and his head tilted to the side as he struggled to understand what Jamie was telling him. "What are you saying?"

Jamie looked his father in the eyes. "There was no match with Layne," he shared.

Frank thought his legs might go out from under him and he leaned against the edge of his desk as he slowly blew out a breath. It was what he knew in his heart to be true, but was still overwhelming to hear.

Jamie had been relieved by the results, obviously, but things with his own father were left unsettled and he felt responsible for that. "I spent the last two weeks making myself crazy, letting all of these worst case scenarios play out in my head and blaming you when I shouldn't have. If I just would have listened," Jamie shrugged, "but I had to know, otherwise I would have always wondered."

Frank's heart clenched at the fact that Jamie felt any sort of responsibility for this whole mess and that he felt he needed to explain himself. "I understand, Son. I can't imagine that I would have done anything differently in your shoes."

"I'm sorry for taking this out on you, Dad. I know this wasn't easy for you either. And I can't imagine what it was like for you back then," Jamie said. He wouldn't love his mother any less knowing what she had done, but it still rocked him. It had always seemed to him, to everyone, that his parents had the perfect marriage.

Frank stood and took a few steps forward. "Jamie, you have nothing to apologize for," he assured his youngest. "I am still sorry you had to hear about your mom from a stranger. We didn't tell you kids about this because it was a situation we both worked through together and, in some ways, it made us stronger, as strange as that sounds. We both knew we were lucky in that regard because it could easily have turned out very differently."

Jamie nodded and blinked a few times to clear his vision. "You really never had any doubt?" he asked.

Frank pressed his lips together as he regarded his son. "Never," he assured him with a fond smile.

Jamie felt very lucky in that moment.

"You tell Layne?" Frank asked.

"Yeah. I called him on the way over here," Jamie advised.

Frank felt like he could breathe for the first time in what felt like a long time. "You up for a drink with your old man?" he asked.

Jamie smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I am."

Frank smiled in return. He took a few steps forward and did what he'd been wanting to do since that awful Sunday two weeks ago - he hugged his son. When Jamie's arms went around him and he felt his boy shudder in relief, Frank said, "Nothing would have changed, Son. Ever."

Jamie sighed, feeling the heavy weight that had hung around him for the past few weeks suddenly lift. "I love you, Dad."


End file.
